A Growing Lie
by Kat Senay
Summary: Lisa Simpson tells her first lie. Encouraged by a new friend Lying Red. She does not realize that her one little lie is the beginning of the destruction of Springfield. And there are many people who lie for Red to feed off of.


A Growing Lie  
By: Kat  
  
It was a regular Sunday morning at the Simpson's home. They all walked into the house. Homer and Bart ran ahead of the others as they took their shoes off and jumped onto the couch. Homer turned on the television with the remote as he took his tie off and threw it on the floor. Bart did the same with his tie and they were both mesmerized by the television. Marge picked up the shoes and ties as she walked towards the kitchen. Maggie followed her and fell on her face a couple times as they went in the kitchen. Lisa went up to her room to change. When she got up in her room she sat up on the chair that was in front of her dresser where the mirror sat on top. She picked up the glass-handled brush that her mother lent her and started to brush her hair. Then it got caught in a not and she started to pull on it. She leaned back in the chair and pulled harder on it as she moaned. Then it came out quickly and it fell from her grasp. It fell down onto the floor and the glass handle shattered into a million pieces.   
  
"Oh no!" Lisa gasped as she bent down and started to pick up some of the pieces. She sat up again and put some pieces on her dresser. Then she heard a small scratchy voice.  
  
"Lisa Simpson," It exclaimed. She thought it was her mother at the door so she stood up and quickly started to pick up the glass pieces.   
  
"No turn around!" The voice demanded. Then she relaxed as she realized that it was not her mother. She turned around and there on the bed sat a small red hedgehog.   
  
"Who are you?" She asked as she stood up. Then she looked sadly at the broken glass brush that was her mother's favorite.   
  
"I'm Lying Red the hedgehog," He answered then she looked up at him.   
  
"Lying Red? Nice trick Bart where are you?" She exclaimed as she looked under the covers. Then she looked under the bed and beside it. She picked Red up and he jumped back down onto the bed.  
  
"I'm not Bart... look babe, I've got a job to do so lets get this over with. You broke your mothers favorite brush right?" He asked as he looked at the broken pieces on the floor. Lisa nodded her head sadly.   
  
"So keep it a secret. You can go to the store and buy her a new one before she even realizes it's gone," Red explained as he took out a cigar. He looked around for a lighter.   
  
"And what if she asks for it before we get to go to the store? How'd you know all that stuff anyways?" Lisa asked as she sat on the end of the bed.   
  
"Got a lighter?" He asked. Lisa shook her head then he put his cigar a way.   
  
"You people take all the fun out of smoking. Anyways, I'm smart don't ask any questions. If she asks about it just lie and say you left it at a friend's house or at school or something," He said and jumped off the bed. He started to pick up the pieces and held them in his other hand. Lisa thought about the idea. Then they heard some footsteps in the hallway.   
  
"Oh no! It could be mom!" Lisa gasped and helped Red pick up the pieces. Red handed her his pieces and she opened the drawer then she put them inside and closed it. Red went under her bed to hide.   
  
"Remember the plan babe," He said as the door opened. It was Marge; She walked in and looked around. Lisa was sitting on her bed.  
  
"Were you talking to someone Lisa?" She asked as she looked all around the room. Lisa shook her head.   
  
"Can I have my brush back? I'm going out this afternoon and I need it," She asked as she went towards the dresser. Lisa's heart pounded harder. Then she ran to it and stood in front of it.   
  
"Um... actually. I left it in my locker..." She lied. But she felt awful inside when she said it. She saw Reds yellow eyes glaring at them from under her bed.   
  
"Okay honey, I guess I'll have to use your fathers brush," She replied. They both shuddered at the thought that he brushes the hair on his chest before he shaves it off. Then Marge left the room and closed the door behind her. She went into the washroom across the hall. Lisa sighed as she sat back down on the bed. Red came out from under the bed with a lighter and his cigar. He was a bit bigger then the last time she saw him. He jumped onto he pillow, he was as big as it now.   
  
"What happened to you? How'd you get so big?" She asked as she moved back. Red lit his cigar and stuffed the lighter in his vest pocket.   
  
"I've always been this big. I think you need glasses. By the way, great job babe!" He exclaimed as he patted her shoulder. She looked at her dresser drawer sadly then she looked back at him.  
  
"And thanks for the lighter... um I guess it wasn't yours either but, right. Where's your brother?" He asked as he jumped up onto the side table and looked out the window. Bart was outside with a baseball bat and a ball.   
  
"Catch ya later!" He said and jumped out the window. He slid down a pole and watched Bart throw the ball up in the air.   
  
"He steps up to the plate... he swings, he actually hits something other then his head...it's going out of the park! It's going... going.. gone! Through the attic window.... damn!," He exclaimed. Red looked up at the broken window and grinned.   
  
"This kid will be a lot easier then the last one," He exclaimed as he started to walk up to Bart. He threw his cigar away. Bart hid the bat behind a tree. His eyes widened as he saw Red walking towards him.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked. Red sighed and sat down on a tree stump.   
  
"I'm Lying Red," He answered. Bart sat down on the ground across from him. Then Red took out another cigar and the lighter.  
  
"Hey that's mine! How'd you get it?" Bart asked as he grabbed it from him then he shoved it in his pocket.   
  
"I found it on the ground, cool it kid. We're friends here," He answered and put the cigar away. Bart crossed his legs then he looked up at the broken window.   
  
"When Homer finds out he's gonna flip," He exclaimed. Red also looked at the broken window.   
  
"No problem kid. Just blame it on someone else. Who else plays baseball?" Red looked into the Flanders yard where Todd and Rod were playing with their baseball stuff. Bart grinned then he remembered something.  
  
"But my ball has my name on it, they'll find out it was me," Bart said as he got up from the ground. Red also stood up and cracked his knuckles.   
  
"Just switch yours with their ball. No one will know," Red exclaimed as he went behind the tree and picked up the bat.  
  
"Now put this back in the shed and go say hi to the kids," Red demanded. Bart smiled an evil smile and picked up the bat. He went over to the shed and opened it. Then he went in and put the bat in it's regular spot. He ran out and closed the doors, then he brushed his hands together and looked over to the spot Red was sitting, but he was gone.   
  
"Thanks Red," He whispered and started to climb up the drain pipe to get his ball back.   
  
Meanwhile Red was looking for his next victim. He went into the house and saw Homer in the living room. Homer drank from his beer bottle and put it down on the side table.  
  
"Nothing I can't handle," Red whispered to himself. He grew a little bigger and looked out the window at Bart who had taken the ball. He gave him a thumbs up and smiled. Marge walked in the room and put a new rug on the floor.   
  
"Homer look at this beautiful rug I got at a garage sale," She said. Homer leaned to his side since she was blocking the television. Then he looked at the rug, it was a pea green color with red dots. Homer frowned.  
  
"Marge! Look at it! It's the most ugliest color I've seen in my life! I'm not having it in my living room!" Homer gasped as he stood up and picked up the rug. Marge took it back from him and put it back on the floor.   
  
"Homer I'm going out for the evening and I wont be home for supper. Make sure the kids don't get into trouble," Marge said as she went to the door. She went out and got in the car.   
  
"All right! Pizza," Homer exclaimed as he picked up the phone. He dialed for the pizza place. Then his arm hit his beer bottle and it fell and spilled all over Marge's new rug. He hung up the phone and picked up the bottle.   
  
"Doh! Marge is going to kill me...." He exclaimed as he tried to scrub out the beer with his hand.   
  
"AAA! A waist of beer!" He gasped and started to lick it up with his tongue. Then Red took out a paper towel and walked up to Homer.   
  
"Mmm, beer and fuzz," Homer said happily then Red handed him the towel. Homer didn't look up he just took it from him. Maggie came in the room and fell on her face.   
  
"Thanks buddy," Homer exclaimed and scrubbed the rest of the beer. Then he gasped as he looked up at Red who was as tall as the television now. He moved back and examined Red.  
  
"Who are..." He was saying but Red interrupted him and sighed.  
  
"I'm Lying Red, nice to meet ya Homer," He said as he held out his hand to him. Homer took it and shook it. Bart came in the room whistling then he stopped when he saw Red there.   
  
"Trader! You were tattling on me weren't you?" Bart gasped and tried to pick Red up but he was bigger then the last time he saw him.  
  
"You know him..." Homer said as he scratched his neck in confusion. Red picked up the rug and turned it over.   
  
"There, my job is done. Keep this beer spill a secret," Red said and walked out of the room. Homer and Bart stared at each other and shrugged then they sat on the couch. Homer picked up the phone to order pizza.   
  
*****  
Later that night Homer and all the kids were on the couch watching television. Then Marge came home and took off the coat that she borrowed from Maud the other day. As she hung it up she realized that there was a big rip in the arm.   
  
"Oh no!" She said and examined the size of it. Then Red, who was half the size of the door now walked up to her. Marge gasped and dropped the coat.   
  
"Hi, I'm Lying Red and I'm here to tell you to keep that coat, give Maud one of your coats. She has so many she wont realize it's gone anyways. There my job is done don't ask any questions," Red exclaimed and went out the front door. Marge felt her forehead for a fever but she didn't have one. Then she thought of what Red said and remembered that the Flanders were coming for lunch tomorrow. Marge ran up to her room and put it on her bed. Then she went back downstairs and sat with the others on the couch. with the others.   
  
  
*****  
  
The next day before the Flanders came over Marge hid the jacket in the attic but she didn't notice the broken window for she had just thrown it in there quickly. Meanwhile at the Flanders Red was over there in the back yard with Todd. Todd and him were playing with both the kids marbles. Red was using Todd's marbles and Todd was using Rod's marbles. Red flicked a marble into the circle on the ground but didn't hit anything. Then Todd flicked one except Red used some of his new magic powers to bounce the marble into the Simpson's yard. Todd gasped as he watched Santa's Little Helper swallow it. But he didn't chock on it.   
  
"Oh no! Rod's marble!" He said as he went to the fence and saw Santa's Little Helper running back into the house.   
  
"Todd and Rod? What are your parents idiot's or something?" Red whispered to himself as he watched Todd who was trying to climb the fence. He went over and caught Todd before he fell to the ground.   
  
"Hey... kid I have an idea. What if you put one of your marbles in his bag and we'll call it even," Red said as he put Todd down. Todd shook his head.   
  
"That was Rod's favorite marble," He sobbed as he sat sadly on the ground. Red smacked his own forehead. Then he put all the marbles in each bag and put one of Todd's marbles in Rod's bag.   
  
"Look, if he asks you borrowed it," Red exclaimed and handed Todd the bags. Suddenly Rod came in the yard then Red went back into the Simpson's yard and went into the front yard.   
  
*****  
  
Red saw some kids playing road hockey. He grinned then he saw Bart there. He examined all his friends with a pair of binacliers that he stole from the Flanders yard. Millhouse did a slap shot and the puck hit Ralph the goalie in the arm. He groaned and fell to the ground.   
  
"I love my job. That puck will make this easier then anything else," Red exclaimed as he threw the binacliers into the Simpson's front yard. Then he walked up to the kids when Nelson called a time out. They all watched Red walk up and stand beside Millhouse and Bart.   
  
"Hey who's the new kid?" Nelson asked as he came up to them. Millhouse shrugged.  
  
"That's Lying Red, he's cool. You wanna play Red?" Bart asked as he handed Red a stick. Red smiled as he looked at the Simpson's car in the driveway.   
  
"Sure kid," Red replied and he put on a mask.   
  
"He's on my team!" Bart called as he pointed at Red. All the other kids looked at them. Ralph blew a whistle and they went into game play. Millhouse tried to do another slap shot but Red tripped him purposely and the puck bounced off his mask. It flew over the net and hit the wind shield of the Simpson's car. And there was a big crack in it.   
  
"Oh man, TIME OUT!" Bart called and they all stopped. They all went up to the car and examined the crack.   
  
"We wont be able to play road hockey here anymore," Millhouse exclaimed sadly. Red went over and pulled a tree branch down onto the cracked wind shield. Then he took the puck and handed it to Bart.   
  
"Okay Red this is going too far. I can understand that they will believe the baseball story and the beer stain, but it's not even windy," Bart exclaimed. Red clapped his hands and a big wind came. The guys picked up their gear and headed home.  
  
"Millhouse you wanna come over for lunch? Well the Flanders are coming over but we can still have fun," Bart offered. Millhouse nodded his head.  
  
"Okay but I have to call my mom," He replied and they went back into the house.  
  
Later Millhouse's mom agreed to let him stay at the Simpson's house for lunch. Him and Millhouse made a call to Moe's bar after that. Bart thought of a good name then he laughed as Moe picked up the phone.   
  
"Hi is Alota Vagina there?" Bart asked. Millhouse started to laugh quietly.   
  
"I know this is some dumb ass prank because you got that name off the second Austin Powers movie... but I'll ask anyways," Moe exclaimed then he put the phone down. He went up to the counter again.  
  
"Is there an Alota Vagina here? I'm looking for an Alota Vagina..." Moe called. Then everyone laughed and Bart hung up the phone. Him and Millhouse started to laugh hysterically.  
  
"Hey! Will you two keep it down over there? I'm trying to watch something important," Homer called then he looked back at the television. Bevas and Butthead was on. Homer laughed then he took a sip of his beer. Suddenly the door bell rang. Homer grumbled.  
  
"Marge! Someone's at the door. I'm watching something important!" He yelled. Marge stuck her head out of the washroom.   
  
"Homer I'm naked, you get it," She yelled back then she went back in and closed the door.  
  
"Anything he watches couldn't be that important," She said to herself as she tried to brush her hair with Homer's brush. Homer smiled at the thought of Marge naked. Then he got up and went to the door. He opened it and there stood the Flanders family.   
  
"AAA!" He gasped and slammed the door. Millhouse and Bart had already taken over the television and they were watching Crusty now.   
  
"Quick hide the beer holder that I borrowed from Flanders a month ago!" He exclaimed as he took the beer holder and threw it behind the couch. Then he went back to the door and opened it again.   
  
"That wasn't a very nice howdy do Homer," Ned said as they all walked in the house. Homer closed the door as they took off their coats.   
  
"Um... the wind blew it," Homer covered up as he scratched his head. Ned handed him his coat.   
  
"Oh right I'll take those upstairs for yeah... BART! Take the Flanders coats upstairs!" Homer ordered. Bart and Millhouse went over to them. Then Homer handed them piles of coats. Bart almost fell over as him and Millhouse headed up the stairs.   
  
"And the wind also blew a tree branch on your car wind shield..." Ned explained as he pointed at the door. Homer put his hand on his head then he opened the door again and went outside. Ned followed him up to the car.   
  
"Doh!" Homer exclaimed as he pulled the branch off the car. He examined the broken wind shield.   
  
"Tough noggins Homer... I hope you have insurance for that," Ned said as he also examined the broken wind shield. Homer thought for a minuet back to the day when he tried to apply for insurance on his car.   
  
"Homer Simpson... you are the most pig headed irresponsible man whoever walked on Springfield," His lawyer exclaimed as he watched Homer in the chair across from him who was shoving a donut in his mouth.  
  
"Does that mean I get insurance covered on my car?" Homer asked as a piece of donut fell out of his mouth. The lawyer shook his head.   
  
"Doh!" Homer exclaimed then it was back to reality.   
  
"No.. can I borrow your insurance Flanders?" Homer asked. Suddenly they heard giant footsteps approaching them. The ground shook as they got closer. It was Red who was as big as the house now. He fed off of every person who lied in Springfield. In which there were many people who did.   
  
"What in the world?" Ned asked as they backed up. Homer scratched his head in confusion.   
  
"I know that guy... except he was a lot smaller the last time I saw him," Homer exclaimed. Lisa and the other kids ran outside and they looked up at their so called giant friend Red.   
  
"What happened to Red?" Bart asked as he balanced on his skateboard. Lisa thought of the reason why Red ended up so big. Then she gasped.   
  
"I think I know what happened. Every time one of us lied he grew a little bigger. And now that so many people lied here in Springfield he is a giant....." Lisa explained then Red interrupted her.   
  
"And it all started with your lie Lisa Simpson!" He said. Then he picked Lisa up. Lisa screamed. Bart fell off of his skateboard then he thought of something. He snapped his finger and picked up his skateboard.   
  
"I have an idea.... to get Red back the way he was before we have to fix all our lies.... oh man," Bart exclaimed then he looked at the broken attic window. Marge came out with Maggie to see what was happening.   
  
"Oh my," She gasped as she saw Lisa in Red's hand.   
  
"Don't worry I'll save her!" Homer exclaimed. Then he picked up a garbage pail and threw it at Red. Red grumbled and threw it back at them. They all jumped out of the way.   
  
"Well can't say I didn't try," Homer exclaimed as he crawled under the car to hide.   
  
"Okay... here this will help. Mom... I broke your glass brush and I lied so I wouldn't get in trouble. I'm sorry," Lisa called to Marge. Marge gasped then red shrunk a little. Marge looked at Maud who was coming out with her kids.   
  
"Maud I stole your purple jacket because I ripped it and I didn't think you'd notice," Marge exclaimed. Maud frowned in confusion. Then Red shrunk a little smaller.  
  
"NO!" He yelled. As he let go of Lisa. She ran back to the others.   
  
"Misses Simpson... I was the one who broke your car wind shield. It was an accident then we made it look like the tree fell on it," Millhouse called to Marge. Then he looked at Bart.   
  
"All right if your gonna make me. I broke the attic window with my baseball and framed the Flanders kids for it by switching baseballs," Bart exclaimed. Homer came out from under the car and walked up to Bart.  
  
"Why you little!" He said and started to strangle him. Marge pulled Homer's arms away from Bart's neck. Red shrank a gain. Homer sighed and looked at Marge.  
  
"I spilled beer on your new rug and turned it over so that you wouldn't notice," He sighed and lowered his head. Red grumbled as he shrunk some more.   
  
"Rod.. I lost your favorite marble when I was playing with Red it rolled into the Simpson's yard and their dog ate it," Todd looked sadly at his brother. Red shrunk back to his normal size. Smaller then Lisa's pillow. They all walked up to him. Red gulped as he backed up. Red tried to run away but Lisa picked him up.   
  
"Going somewhere shortie. We fixed our lies.. now for your penalty you have to put everything back the way it was!" Lisa demanded. Red sighed then he waved his hand. The brush was fixed, the marble was back, the wind shield was not broken and the attic window wasn't either. And the rug had no stain. Then Red disappeared. They all looked around.   
  
*****  
  
After lunch they all apologized to each other for their lies. Then the Flanders left and Homer sat back down on the couch. Bart went into the fridge to get some ice cream. He took it out then he took out a china bowl. And it fell to the ground and broke into pieces. Lisa walked into the room and gasped as she watched Bart who was hiding the pieces in the bottom cup bored.   
  
"Bart didn't you learn anything from the past events?" She asked as she handed him the broom to clean up the rest of the pieces.   
  
"Yeah I learned a lot... like how to be more sneaky when things like this happen. Maybe I'll try it at school..." Bart chuckled then he looked up at Lisa who was frowning at him.   
  
"All right, all right I'll tell mom after supper," He said. Lisa held out her hand to him.  
  
"Shake on it so I know your not lying," Lisa demanded. Bart put his other hand behind his back. He shook her hand and with his other he crossed his fingers.   
  
THE END.  
  



End file.
